Catholic Schools Week was celebrated from January 28th to February 4th at Immaculate Conception School.

The week started with Masses at church and a pasta

dinner at Carges Hall. Sixth grader David, who attend-

ed the events with his family, noted that “the pasta din-

ner was a great evening.”

Maui Monday followed the weekend’s festivities.

For this event students dressed in Hawaiian clothing

and were treated to a screening of the film “Finding

Nemo” in the school gym. Lunch was served as stu-

dents relaxed on beach blankets during the film.

Fr. Chumo and Mr. Meyer joined the students at

ICS with a special school Mass in the gym on Tuesday.

Some of our fifth graders read while the Kids’ Spirit

choir provided music for the gathering.

On Wednesday, students dressed up as characters

from their favorite books. Students also had an oppor-

tunity to visit their future classrooms for “Moving Up

Day,” allowing the children to work with prospective

teachers and classmates for a portion of the day. Miss

James, first and second grade teacher at ICS, (who

dressed as Miss Frizzle from the Magic School Bus se-

ries that day) said that Moving Up Day was “a great

way for kids to experience life in the grade to come.”

Thursday was set aside as one of the Open House

days during Catholic Schools Week. Prospective stu-

dents had a chance to visit ICS during the week, meet

our principal Mr. Mills, and receive a guided tour of the

School. Hopefully we’ll see some of their faces in the

halls of ICS this coming fall!

Newsletter of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church

Lent 2017 Ithaca, New York

The Immaculate Connection

By Don Eckerson

Through the Eyes of Children: ICS Students Celebrate Catholic Schools Week

Friday was designated as “Fun Day” at ICS. Stu-

dents dressed in their favorite sports team’s jerseys and

counted the soup cans they collected as a part of their

support for our food pantry. Classes performed songs

and dances for family members, who joined the students

at the end of the day in a school-wide gathering in the

gym.

Catholic Schools Week concluded Saturday, February

4th with a roller skating party at ICS. Pizza, salad, and

breadsticks were provided as students wrapped up a

week filled with fun and different ways to celebrate our

unique identity. What a week!

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IN THIS ISSUE

Lent/Easter 2017

Catholic Schools Week…………………. 1

Parish Financial

Summary …………... 2

Book Review……….. 2

Thoughts from

Fr.Chumo….............. 3

Small Christian

Communites………... 4

Our Growing

Parish………………... 5

Parishioner Profile… 6

Parish Calendar…..7,8

Immaculate Conception Parish Financial Summary By Larry Wasser

For the 6-month period ending 12-31-2016, Church operating income was $332,700 and operating ex-penses totaled $351,000 netting to an $18,300 operating loss. Most revenue and expense line items were close to budgeted amounts with a few significant expense exceptions. Collections were steady with electronic/online giv-ing exceeding its budgeted amount, thereby offsetting the underage in regular non-electronic collections. Collec-tions, Gifts and Donations, Fundraising Income, and Other Operating Revenue contributed toward operating in-come and are meeting budgeted expectations.

Expenses collectively exceeded the budgeted amount due primarily to a few items: Employment Services, Insurance, Property Tax, and Courier Journal. The Employment Services expense is a result of diocesan policy requiring that part-time staff be moved off Immaculate Conception’s payroll. This expense is being reviewed. The budget for Courier Journal was understated due to data entry issue and is on budget. Insurance appears to have been under-budgeted and will be looked at further. Property Tax appears to be only a timing issue.

A current issue for the Parish is a pending cash shortage - possibly as early as March 2017. Immaculate Conception remains $21,665 short of its diocesan CMA assessment of $59,694. This shortage must be paid out of Immaculate Conception’s funds. A gift of only $18 from each of Immaculate’s 1200 parish families would allevi-ate this encumbrance on parish resources.

The School currently owes $17,000 to the Church for bills paid on its behalf, although The School is cur-rently owed $10,000 from other churches/parishes in student support payments.

The next six months will continue to challenge our Parish fiscal management. An even more critical issue for us is an immediate need to identify, fund, and repair substantial structural issues at the church. An engineering firm has been contacted to help with this matter. As always, your financial support is appreciated and welcomed.

Book Review: The Glories of Mary: A Treasury By Wendy Babiak

Father Chumo is encouraging us, as he should, to increased devotion to

Our Holy Mother. A treasure of the Church to aid us in this worthy endeavor is

the classic The Glories of Mary, by St. Alphonsus de Liguori (Bishop, d. 1787). He

begins with an “Introduction: Which Ought To Be Read,” then a prayer to the

Blessed Virgin, and then dives into a close reading of the prayer “Hail, Holy

Queen” (and I do mean close: the phrase “Hail, queen, Mother of mercy” is

treated to its own chapter, with four sections). As he goes through the prayer,

riffing on each phrase, we’re treated to a course in Mariology served up by one

who’s both a connoisseur and a true lover. He ends Part I with a list of prayers

to Mary from various saints. Part II treats us to discourses on the seven principle

feasts of Mary and her dolors. A devotion particularly pleasing to the Holy

Mother is the Seven Hail Mary’s for her seven sorrows. Reading this last one will

enrich those meditations. At the end of each chapter and throughout the book

we’re given prayers to deepen our relationship with Mother Mary, as we learn of

her many virtues and excellences, her closeness to her Divine Son, the power of

her intercession, and her deep and abiding love for us.

2 | Immaculate Connection Volume 16, Issue 1 | Lent/Easter 2017

Christian life embodies all aspects of human life and we need the Holy

Spirit to guide us to live each day – and each moment of each day – in awareness

of our need for God. It is a life that invites us to joyful living and service in the

building of the Kingdom of God. Everyone is invited to be part of this great en-

deavor.

Each year we try to look for ways and means to invite members of our faith community to a deeper relationship with our Lord and to grow in faith and charity. Here are some goals from which we can draw actionable items to guide us in our journey of faith. Essentially, these goals would help us answer questions such as: Are we getting sufficient spiritual nourishment? What are we doing to

ensure this happen? Are we reaching out to invite new members? Are we deepening the faith of our parishioners? Are we reaching out to the poor, the sick, the elderly, and the bereaved? Do we have special faith/social programs for our youth and their families? Do we promote Christian vocations? Are we supporting our parish financially? How do we communicate and educate our members on this subject? How are our buildings and grounds? Goal 1. To make spiritual opportunities abundant and centered on the Holy Eucharist: Some of the objectives to help us achieve this goal include, but not limited to, the following: Encourage parishion-

ers to prepare well for Sunday Eucharist through personal prayer and Scripture reading, as well as encourage quiet

moments before Mass; celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation on a regular basis; encourage Bible study and

small faith sharing of the Word of God; promote Eucharistic Adoration, parish missions, continuous adult faith

formation and catechesis. Marian devotion will be given particular attention.

Goal 2. To intensify outreach:

Intentional outreach is imperative in the life of the Church of Christ. This is an integral part of the mission of

Christ. He commanded us to go out and bring Good News of the Kingdom to the ends of the earth. There are

so many members of our families, colleagues at work, peers and friends, who also need to be invited into the

Church. Inactive baptized Catholics form a big target group. We do the outreach to identify with the poor and

vulnerable groups to bring comfort and solidarity. We shall seek to pray for the sick, bring them the Holy Eucha-

rist and Anointing upon request, support bereaved families, celebrate important milestones, integrate ourselves

into the life of the neighboring communities, and involve ourselves in ecumenical initiatives where possible.

Goal 3. To diversify outreach to the youth and their families:

Young people need diverse ways and means of communicating and nurturing faith (including the use of social me-

dia). Parents’ cooperation is vital for this to bear fruit. Vocation to religious and priestly life will be an ongoing

part of this ministry.

Goal 4. To ensure financial stability of the parish - short and long term:

We will continue increased giving campaign and find new fundraising initiatives for the long term financial stabil-

ity of our parish. Prudent use of financial resources will be part of our practice and timely communication of our

parish financial situation will be imperative.

Cultivate a Deeper Relationship with Our Lord

Volume 16, Issue 1| Lent/Easter 2017 Immaculate Connection | 3

Small Christian Communities By Elizabeth Burns

Many Catholics, at different times in their spiritual journey, look for ways to deepen their faith. With

Lent approaching, one of the ways to do this at Immaculate Conception is to join a Small Christian Community

(SCC). Small Christian Communities are groups of four to eight parishioners who meet regularly to pray and

journey together in the Catholic faith. “The purpose,” says Patrick Meyer, pastoral associate, “is to build com-

munity and share faith.”

Small Christian Communities were an outgrowth of Vatican II. They appeared first in churches in Latin

America and Asia, where small groups of parishioners formed to engage in faith-related activities, strengthening

their community with each other and with the Church. They then spread to Africa, and later to Europe and

North America. Pope John Paul II, in his encyclical Redemptoris Misso, says, “These are groups of Christians who,

at the level of the family or in a similarly restricted setting, come together for prayer, Scripture reading, catechesis,

and discussion on human and ecclesial problems with a view to a common commitment. These communities are

a sign of vitality within the Church, an instrument of formation and evangelization, and a solid starting point for

a new society based on a ‘civilization of love’.”

The structure of a Small Christian Communities is usually informal. There’s no leader, although some-

one may act as a guide for the session, and participants share with each other as little or as much as they choose.

The hope is that as the participants grow in faith and fellowship as a group, they will deepen and enrich their own

faith as part of that process. There’s no set format to be followed during a session. Some Small Christian Com-

munities choose to discuss texts or watch videos during their time together. “Some say the rosary,” says Mary

Edsall-Golway, a long-time Small Christian Communities participant at Immaculate Conception. “Small Chris-

tian Communities can do what they want.”

There are currently several Small Christian Communities at Immaculate Conception. Some meet at pa-

rishioners’ homes and one, which formed over a decade ago, meets for one hour weekly in the Parish Office.

This Small Christian Community recently discussed material from the DVD series, Catholicism: The Pivotal Players,

by Bishop Richard Barron. They begin each session with prayer, discuss the next Sunday’s readings, and then

close with prayer intentions for the sick. “We’ve also been using reflections and questions from Richard Cleve-

land’s Emmaus Journey website,” says Mary Edsall-Golway.

In the past, Small Christian Communities have formed at Immaculate Conception during Lent, and the

hope is to form several again this Lenten season. The topics will be Lenten-related using a specific text or video,

or possibly using a lectio divino model on the Lenten Sunday readings. Interested parishioners can look for infor-

mation in the upcoming bulletins or contact Patrick Meyer (pmeyer@dor.org). Patrick will put interested indi-

viduals into contact with each other or people can form their own groups. Any parishioner, high-school age and

above, is welcome.

Ww

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Are you interested in joining a

Small Christian Community for Lent?

Contact Patrick Meyer, Pastoral Associate:

Email: pmeyer@dor.org

Phone: 273-6121, ext. 106

4 | Immaculate Connection Volume 16, Issue 1| Lent/Easter 2017

mailto:pmeyer@dor.org

By Maureen Seeley

OUR GROWING PARISH

John "Jay" Beckley Kathleen Brahney

Janice Nye Elliot & Kelsey Young and their daughter

Charlotte

Beth Anne McGrogan Ivan Lee

Brian & Patricia Erickson Dorothy Barr

Suzette Jeanne LaVigne Mar

We wish to welcome to our Parish community the following newly registered parishioners:

We welcome and congratulate our newly Baptized members:

Edward Joseph Price Cyrus Quinn Alexander Gasque

Parents: Joseph & Colleen Price Parent: Lisa Maria Gasque

Liam Leonardo Sophia Lynn Hall

Parent: Terri Jo Leonardo Parents: Cornell Wise and Megan Hall

Madeline Jane McDonough

Parents: Michael & Kristin McDonough

Parish Calendar, (continued from page 7)

March 26 - Fourth Sunday of Lent

10:30 am Mass – RCIA Second Scrutiny

Coffee Hour after 8:30 am & 10:30 am Masses (Carges Hall) March 27 10:30 am – Mass at Cayuga Ridge March 28 12:30 pm -7:30 pm – Diocesan Day of Penance

1:00 pm – Food Pantry (Carges Hall)

March 29

7:00 pm – Lenten Adult Faith Formation (Carges Hall) March 30 11:00 am-Noon – Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

1:00 pm – Lenten Adult Faith Formation (Carges Hall) 5:45-7:00 pm – Family Fun Math/Science Evening (ICS) March 31 5:30 pm—Stations of the Cross April 1 10:00am 1st Communion Prep 3:00-4:00 pm – Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

April 2 - Fifth Sunday of Lent

10:30 am Mass – RCIA Third Scrutiny

11:45 am – High School Youth Group (Carges Hall)

2:00 pm – Mercy Associates (Carges Hall)

6:45 pm – Middle School Youth Group (Carges Hall) April 4 1:00 pm – Food Pantry (Carges Hall) April 5 7:00 pm – Lenten Adult Faith Formation (Carges Hall) April 6 9:00 am – Immaculate Conception School Mass

11:00-Noon – Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

1:00 pm – Lenten Adult Faith Formation (Carges Hall)

April 7

7:00 am - Mass followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

11:00 am – Benediction

7:00 pm – Lenten Cantata April 8 9:30 am – Family-Based Religious Education (ICS)

Volume 16, Issue 1| Lent/Easter 2017 Immaculate Connection | 5

Parishioner Profile: Jim Moravec Story and Photo by Rich Rasmussen

It is always intriguing how each person’s story of life and faith is so vastly

different from another’s. This is true of the journey of faith and life for Jim Mora-

vec. Growing up in rural Town of Dryden, NY. Jim attended the Methodist church

and like many other men enjoys hunting, fishing, biking, hiking, exercising, garden-

ing and walking his dogs.

Jim met his wife Linda in 1967 while working at Cornell and within six

months they were married. Shortly after their wedding they drove through a snow-

storm and made their way to Fort Belvoir, VA to attend Engineer Officer Basic

Training. In 1968, Jim was commissioned to serve during the war in Vietnam.

While in Vietnam Jim’s journey of faith had a slight change of direction as

he was initiated into the Catholic Church by a Catholic Army chaplain and received

the Sacraments of First Penance and First Eucharist. He was relieved from active

duty in 1969 and it wasn’t until much later that he was fully initiated into the Catho-

lic faith by receiving Confirmation from Fr. Leo Reinhardt.

Jim loves Immaculate Conception Church. He says that “people have such a great willingness to help with

faith formation. We don’t walk the journey of faith alone.” He also appreciates that so many people are willing to

help the parish in so many ways, and Jim walks the talk of serving his parish. One can find him every Monday in

the parish office assisting with billing, filing time sheets, monitoring the Cemetery budget and other projects need-

ing attention. He also serves as secretary of our parish Cemetery committee.

When asked about what it takes to maintain our cemeteries, Jim said, “Many people don’t realize how

much goes into keeping Calvary operating. While Mt. Olivet is no longer in operation, it is still a Parish responsi-

bility. Budgeting for both cemeteries is a challenge. Our objective is to keep the cemeteries self-funded.” He

adds that it is sometimes very difficult with all the policies that must be followed, “Most of the income generated

for our cemetery comes from the sale of cemetery plots and burial services but that does not always cover budget-

ed expenses.” There are many ways people can help in serving our parish by helping our cemeteries. Jim says

“helping with simple ground keeping tasks is a huge help as this also relieves the financial burden of having to pay

for those tasks”. Of course, financial generosity is also a huge help through the special Memorial Day collection at

Mass, special one-time gifts or through an individual’s estate planning. “It is important to remember that our cem-

eteries are very much a part of the Ithaca landscape,” Jim comments, “We want to make sure that they are sacred,

prayerful places for people to go and remember their loved ones. “

Jim’s love for the parish is evident. Through his kind, quiet and fun demeanor it is easy to see that service

is very much a part of who Jim is. Yes, God did have a different plan in mind for Jim through his converting to

the Catholic faith. However, I think it is safe to say that God had a different idea in mind for Immaculate Concep-

tion Church through Jim’s presence, generosity and service to our parish.

Jim Moravec, A Tireless Volunteer at Immaculate

Conception

“Let all that you do be done in love.” 1 Corinthians, 16:18

6 | Immaculate Connection Volume 16, Issue 1| Lent/Easter 2017

March 1 - Ash Wednesday

Mass with distribution of ashes - 7:00 am, 12:10 pm, 5:30 pm March 3 7:00 am - Mass followed by Exposition of the Blessed

Sacrament

11:00 am – Benediction

5:30 pm - Stations of the Cross March 4 3:00-4:00 pm – Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament March 5 - First Sunday of Lent 10:30 am Mass - RCIA Rite of Sending

11:45 am – High School Youth Group (Carges Hall)

6:45 pm – Middle School Youth Group (Carges Hall) March 7 1:00 pm - Food Pantry (Carges Hall) March 8 7:00 pm – Lenten Adult Faith Formation (Carges Hall) March 9 11:00 am–Noon - Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

1:00 pm – Lenten Adult Faith Formation (Carges Hall)

2:30 pm – Mass at Titus Towers March 10 5:30 pm – Stations of the Cross March 11 5:45 pm - Saint Patrick’s Day Dinner (Carges Hall) March 12 - Second Sunday of Lent 10:30 am Mass – RCIA Penitential Rite 2:00 pm - RCIA Rite of Election (St. Mary Our Mother in Horseheads) Coffee Hour after 8:30 am & 10:30 am Masses (Carges Hall) 11:45 am – High School Youth Group (Carges Hall) 6:45 pm – Middle School Youth Group (Carges Hall) March 13 7:00 pm – Parish Mission

Lent/Easter at Immaculate Conception

(All Events held in the Church unless otherwise indicated)

Weekend Masses Sacrament of Reconciliation

Saturdays – 4:30 pm Saturdays – 2:30-4:00 pm or by appt.

Sundays—8:30 am and 10:30 am

March 14 1:00 pm – Food Pantry (Carges Hall)

7:00 pm – Parish Mission (Church) March 15 7:00 pm – Lenten Adult Faith Formation (Carges Hall) March 16 11:00 am - Noon – Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

1:00 pm – Lenten Adult Faith Formation (Carges Hall 4:00 pm—Mass at McGraw House March 17 5:30 pm – Stations of the Cross March 18 9:30 am – Family-Based Religious Education (ICS)

March 19 - Third Sunday of Lent 10:30 am Mass – RCIA First Scrutiny

11:45 am – High School Youth Group (Carges Hall)

6:45 pm – Middle School Youth Group (Carges Hall)

5:00 pm – Family-Based Religious Education (ICS) March 20 9:00 am-2:00 pm – Immaculate Conception School Open House (ICS) March 21 1:00 pm – Food Pantry (Carges Hall) March 22 7:00 pm - Lenten Adult Faith Formation (Carges Hall)

March 23 11:00 am-Noon – Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

1:00 pm – Lenten Adult Faith Formation (Carges Hall)

7:00 pm – Catholic Charities Refugee Discussion (Carges Hall) March 24-March 26 Parish Retreat and Teen Retreat (Camp Casowasco) March 24 5:30 pm Stations of the Cross

(continued on page 5)

Immaculate Connection | 7 Volume 16, Issue 1 | Lent/Easter 2017

The Immaculate Connection Volume 16, Issue 1, Lent 2017

Published at the Immaculate Conception Church

George Green Parish Center

113 North Geneva Street, Ithaca, NY 14850

Tel: 607.273.6121

Pastor Fr. Augustine Chumo

Editor Christen Bonacci

Design and Layout Elizabeth Burns

Contributors Wendy Babiak Elizabeth Burns Fr. Augustine Chumo Don Eckerson Patrick Meyer Rich Rasmussen Maureen Seeley Larry Wassser

A special thank you to the sixth grade students of Immaculate Conception School.

AN

NE

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AR

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NONPROFIT

U. S. POSTAGE PAID

PERMIT #417

Immaculate Conception Church 113 North Geneva Street Ithaca, NY 14850

Return Service Requested

April 9 - Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

11:45 am – High School Youth Group (Carges Hall)

5:00 pm – Family-Based Religious Education (ICS) 6:45 pm – Middle School Youth Group (Carges Hall) April 11 1:00 pm Food Pantry (Carges Hall)

April 13 - Holy Thursday 9:00 am - Morning Prayer

7:00 pm – Mass of the Lord’s Supper 10:00 pm – Night Prayer April 14 - Good Friday 9:00 am – Morning Prayer

3:00 pm – Celebration of the Lord’s Passion

5:30 pm – Stations of the Cross

April 15 - Holy Saturday 11:30 am – Easter Food Blessing

8:00 pm - The Easter Vigil In the Holy Night

April 16 - Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord Masses: 7:30 am, 9:00 am, 11:00 am

Holy Week and Easter Sunday At Immaculate Conception

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